1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a coated product. More particularly, it relates to confectioneries such as chewing gum, pharmaceuticals, medicinal tablets and the like, which contain hydrogenated indigestible starch syrup as a binding agent in the coating composition.
2. Prior Art
In recent years, efforts have been devoted to replace sugar and sugar syrups normally found in coated products with other carbohydrates and non-carbohydrates. Non-sugar or sugarless coated product, which is growing in popularity, uses sugar alcohols or polyols to replace sugar and sugar syrups. The most popular polyols are sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and maltitol. New polyols are being developed using new technology to replace these polyols. New polyols have various unique properties, which can improve the taste, texture, and shelf life properties of coated product for consumers. The sugarless polyols have the advantage of not contributing to dental caries of consumers, as well as being able to be consumed by diabetics.
PCT publication Nos. WO 92/009208 and WO 93/005663, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,892, disclose the use of indigestible dextrin in gum coatings with polyols.
PCT publication Nos. WO 94/016574, WO 95/007622, WO 95/007625, WO 95/008924, WO 95/008925, and WO 95/008926 disclose the use of various polyols that can be used to coat chewing gum. In addition, these polyols are known as non-cariogenic.
Japanese Patent A-2-207745 discloses sugar-coating material which contains one or more of pre-gelatinized starch or dextrin and a sugar alcohol.
Japanese Patent A-62-91501 discloses an indigestible polysaccharide obtained by heating hydrogenated starch hydrolysate in the presence of an acid catalyst under anhydrous condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,329, U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,014, EP No. 0,561,088, EP No. 0,561,089, and EP No. 0,561,090 disclose hypocariogenic hydrogenated saccharide compositions which contain hydrogenated monosaccharides, hydrogenated disaccharides, and polysaccharides non-hydrolysable by amyloglucosidase, obtainable by saccharifying enzyme hydrolysis of dextrin and hydrogenating the hydrolysate.
EP No. 0,368,451 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,873 disclose processes for preparing indigestible dextrin and hydrogenation of the obtained dextrin.
Japanese Patent A-10-150934 discloses hydrogenated indigestible starch syrup and food containing the same. The syrup is obtained by hydrolysing pyrodextrin by a combination of alpha-amylase, debranching enzyme, and beta-amylase, then hydrogenating the syrup.
Sugarless coated products, coated with various sugarless polyols have been developed over the years. One polyol that has an advantage over other polyols for use as a coating is maltitol. It can be easily added in conventional panning operations to give a quality, crunchy, hard shell coating. However, one drawback is that the maltitol coating is too hard and brittle, thus causing the coating to chip at the corners of the gum pellet. This usually occurs in the manufacturing facility just after manufacturing and several days of storage, and before gum pellets are wrapped. The addition of natural gums, such as gum Arabic, to the coating reduces chipping slightly.